HARRISBURG, Pa. – As a result of Congressional legislation to expand federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs in Washington, DC, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) is very encouraging the more than 500,000 Pennsylvanians who receive payments through these expiring programs to seek other forms of help.
According to a statement released Saturday, under the current CARES Act, both programs will shut down at the end of this month and Pennsylvania plaintiffs will not receive payments after the week ended December 26.
“Pennsylvanians receiving PUA or PEUC payments should be aware that they will not be able to file a claim next week and should now begin preparations to find another way to find the supplies they need,” said Jennifer Berrier. , acting secretary of L&I. “I urge current PUA and PEUC plaintiffs to request additional assistance through programs outside of L&I as soon as possible to avoid putting their families in an emergency or dangerous situation.”
The United States Department of Labor (US DOL) cannot provide guidelines for the PUA and PEUC program extensions and required changes to the programs in the CARES Act Extension legislation until the bill is signed into law.
According to officials, because states cannot begin implementing the programs and provisions in the new law until after they receive the guidelines from the U.S. DOL, PUA and PEUC plaintiffs will have several weeks of experience between the time of the program renewal. is enacted in law and payments are resumed.
The Department of Labor & Industry encourages PUA and PEUC claimants to check the following sources for eligibility and to apply immediately if they are eligible:
PUA and PEUC claimants are also encouraged to use the United Way of Pennsylvania’s 211 program to identify local resources, including food banks, housing assistance, and utility assistance. Claimants can view available programs in their zip code by visiting pa211.org, texting their zip code to 898-211, or calling 211 at any time.
According to officials, Governor Tom Wolf and L&I leaders repeatedly called on the federal government in November and December to approve an extension of the CARES law before it expired in late 2020.
The Department of Labor and Industry will release updates on the PUA and PEUC programs and other federal programs affected by the CARES Act extension as information becomes available, officials say.
More Pennsylvania resources and tips, including financial assistance with credit cards, mortgage or rent, and mental health resources, are available by clicking “COVID-19” at www.pa.gov.